Guanyin Mountain National Nature Reserve, located in Foping County, Shaanxi Province, China, is nestled on the southern slope of the Qinling Mountain Range. It is renowned for its rich wildlife resources, including the famous golden monkeys, giant pandas, takins, and other rare animals.
Recently, while reviewing images captured by infrared cameras, reserve staff noticed that groups of 3 to 5 takins frequently gathered at the culvert beneath the Dongliang Highway during nighttime.
From these photographs, it appears that this culvert has become one of the main activity areas for local takin groups.
Previously, this highway acted as a barrier that divided the habitats of wildlife into two separate areas. If animals from either side needed to cross, they had to navigate the roadway, which posed significant dangers to both them and motorists.
To better protect these wildlife species, Guanyin Mountain Reserve restored the vegetation on both sides of the Dongliang Highway, cleaned up the original culverts, and transformed them into ecological corridors for wildlife passage. This approach has proven effective; the culvert has since become the primary route for wildlife traveling between the two areas, thus reducing the risk of traffic accidents involving animals.
The primary function of ecological corridors is to connect two or more relatively isolated ecological units.
Ecological corridors can be categorized into natural and artificial corridors. Natural corridors form organically, typically as narrow bands of vegetation, while artificial corridors are human-made, such as the culvert in Guanyin Mountain Reserve, which serves as a prime example. The most important task of artificial ecological corridors is to protect life. After the culvert was cleared and repurposed as an ecological corridor, data monitored by infrared cameras revealed that takins became the most frequent users of this corridor. They often appear in groups of three to five, gathering at the culvert and remaining there for extended periods.
According to analyses by reserve experts, the primary reason for this behavior is the salt deposits on the sides of the culvert, along with a water source beneath it, which meets the daily needs of takins for salt licks and drinking water.
In fact, there are four species considered treasures of the Qinling Mountains: giant pandas, golden monkeys, takins, and the endangered Nipponia nippon. Among them, takins are large herbivores known for their bizarre appearance, which combines characteristics of various animals, earning them nicknames like “divine beast” and “six un-similar forms.”
They possess the body of a bear, the back of a cow, the face of a horse, and the tail of a sheep, while their horns resemble those of a goat and their hind legs display features of a hyena.
Taxonomically, takins belong to the genus Takino within the Bovidae family, with four subspecies: Sichuan takin, Qinling takin, Bhutan takin, and Gongshan takin.
They are substantial in size, with males weighing up to 400 kg, shoulder heights exceeding 1 meter, and some individuals can even weigh up to one ton.
Different subspecies of takins exhibit slight variations in fur color, influenced by their diverse habitats.
Among them, the takins living in the Qinling Mountains may be considered one of the most beautiful, with thick, long fur in light yellow or tan shades that shimmer with golden highlights in sunlight.
Due to their massive size, after the South China tiger vanished from the wild, takins have become a species without natural predators. They prefer to live in herds, often moving together in groups of more than a dozen, demonstrating disciplined behavior. Mature males take positions at the front and rear of the herd to protect females and young, making it difficult for predators like leopards and wild dogs to inflict harm on them.
Takins are a typical high-altitude species that inhabit forests and grasslands typically found at elevations over 2,500 meters above sea level.
However, in winter, they often migrate to coniferous forests or lower rocky areas. This migratory behavior is also observed in many other highland animals, such as snow leopards.
Due to their size, takins display a humped back and a lumbering gait, giving the impression of sluggish movement.
Yet, if you think this species is cumbersome and inflexible, you are mistaken; when necessary, these animals demonstrate impressive agility.
They navigate between mountains, moving both vertically and horizontally along cliffs, capable of traversing diverse terrains, and can even leap over branches exceeding 2 meters in height.
During winter when vegetation is scarce, takins can use their front legs to lean against tree trunks and “stand up” to reach for food in higher branches.
Like goats, takins are not picky eaters, with an average diet comprising hundreds of different plant species. In some areas with abundant vegetation, their diet can include up to 300 species.
Despite being herbivores, takins can exhibit aggression comparable to that of tigers and leopards. Males often engage in head-to-head battles to establish hierarchy within the herd, with the losers leaving to live a solitary life.
Generally, herd-living takins do not attack humans, but solitary males are a different matter. They tend to be irritable and quick-tempered. Over the past 20 years, hundreds of male takins have attacked people, primarily solitary ones.
Takins are a very dominant species; with their robust bodies and strength, they will chase away other herbivores like serows, deer, and even giant pandas from their territory. In 2014, the Tangjiahe Reserve rescued a wild giant panda named “Pingping”, who bore numerous wounds inflicted by takins.
